Mission Statement
To serve a diverse community by providing educational and culturally-enriching experiences through the transforming power of the arts.

History
In 1985, Dr. Paul Blaney, a Coral Gables Congregational Church (CGCC) member and administrator at the University of Miami initiated a concert series composed primarily of up-and-coming local artists. This was mounted during the summer months with CGCC, established in 1924 and now recorded in the National Registry of Historic Places as the ideal venue. With its central location, Spanish-revival style architecture of the 1920’s, and 450-seat capacity marking an acoustically pleasing and uniquely intimate environment, an immediate connection between audience and concert artists became eminent.

Since that time, the Coral Gables Congregational Church Summer Concert Series has grown from four to eight concerts, June through August. In 2002, the title CGCC Community Arts Program was adopted to forge initiatives that reach into the greater community. With that in mind, the CGCC Community Arts Program developed its Conservatory for the Arts in September 2003. The Conservatory for the Arts and the Summer Concert Series (additional special concert events are also held and announced throughout the year) present a well-rounded pallet of activities within the CGCC Community Arts Program.

Summer Concert Series
• Affordably-priced public tickets to concerts by world-renowned artists presented at CGCC, June through August,
• Free or lower-priced tickets to concerts also staged within venues located in underserved Miami-Dade communities (i.e., Overtown, Liberty City, Little Havana, Miami Gardens, Hialeah, among others) as part of a Summer Concert Series cultural outreach initiative,
• Accessible concert experiences to youth and challenged individuals,
• The Young Musicians’ Summer Master Classes (open to all youth) for professional insights and instruction by artists performing on the Summer Concert Series.

Conservatory for the Arts
• Recipient of the Artist Impact Award from the Children’s Cultural Coalition,
• An after-school program (September-May) that provides one-on-one instrument and music-theory training (written and oral), juried evaluations, performance forums and public performance opportunities with a primary focus on offering minimal- to free-cost instruction for financially-challenged youth,
• Active-learning ensembles (e.g., The Young Musicians’ Orchestra), open to all youth of Miami Dade County, that provide exceptional hands-on learning and performance experience for youth and additional concert offerings for the public,
• A top-notch teaching/coaching staff comprised of members from New World Symphony, the University of Miami Frost School of Music, and other exceptional institutions,
• A summer component, as part of the Summer Concert Series (June-August), that brings the Young Musicians’ Summer Master Classes taught by artists appearing on the CGCC Community Arts Program Summer Concert Series,
• Overall curricula – where young people are empowered to be bold, to take the initiative in learning, and to develop exceptional creative and social skills – that bring knowledge and understanding for productive futures.

Residents of and visitors to South Florida have come to recognize the CGCC Community Arts Program as part of a unique and valuable mixture of culture, education, and outreach.